Local History
Market Hall on Main Street
Eight Hundred Years of Bingley Market In May 2012 Bingley celebrated the eight hundredth anniversary of being awarded its first Market Charter. The granting of the Charter elevated the status of Bingley to that of a Market Town with important implications for its subsequent growth and development. Bingley Market obtained its Charter before Bradford (1251) and before records show a market operating in Leeds (1258) In this article our historian Alan Cattell traces the key events and dates for Bingley Market Hall and Butter Cross since 1212. Alan has given permission for content from his book Bingley and Surrounds - Forgotten Moments from History to be replicated in the article. What was a Butter Cross? Originally market trading was carried out around a “butter cross” which was a type of market cross associated with English market towns and dating from medieval times. Its name originated from the fact that the cross would be located at a local market place, sometimes near a church or a manor where people would come to buy and sell locally produced butter, milk and eggs. In Bingleys case the original market is likely to have been held in the churchyard as was customary elsewhere (Dodd 1958 Bingley). The fresh produce would be laid out and displayed on the circular stepped base of the cross. 14
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Design of crosses varied from place to place, but they were often covered by some type of roof to offer shelter to traders and customers, although the roofs were mostly added at a much later date than the original cross that they covered. The 1966 Grade 2 listing of the Bingley Butter Cross states that although its actual date is uncertain, it was possibly 13th Century in origin. The roof was however added in 1753. The First Market Charter On 19th May 1212 King John declared “by the Grace of God know ye that we have granted and by this our Charter confirmed to Maurice de Gant that he have one market at his Manor of Bingley every week on Sunday. So nevertheless that the same market be not to the injury of the neighbouring markets. Wherefore we will and firmly command that the aforesaid Maurice and his heirs have the aforesaid market in the aforesaid manor of Bingley for ever well and in peace, freely and quietly with all liberties and free customs belonging to such market pertaining as is aforesaid.” The statement above was intended to do a number of things: 1. Establish the day on which the market would be held 2. Ensure that a new market town could not be established too close to an existing one. A limit, usually a day’s worth of travelling to